Buzzzz....

Miranda was in her first spelling bee at school.  It was so exciting.  They did a classroom spelling bee and she was one of two to move on to the next step which was school wide.  Each class had two students particiapate, grades three through five.  As we practiced the words with her we kept reminding her that she was competing with 5th graders.  So she should relax, have fun and think of it as practice.  I was so nervous for her, not whether she would win, I already know she is a smarty, but that she would be devestated if she messed up.  Being the great mom that I am I remembered the camera.  She got up to spell her first word.  Dangerous...and the camera died, I mean the re-chargeable battery was not charged.  I missed it.  Miranda got the word right and when she turned around to go back to her chair she brought her elbow down and her knee up and quietly said "YES!" It was great to watch that moment.  She continued on, I had to take Lauren to the bathroom so I missed a word.  When I got back another mom said "Miranda got applause."  I thought wow, it must have been a really hard word since all 270 kids in attendance were told to not applaud.  Then Jeremy said "she spelled applause."  That definitely made more sense.  I was able to get this word on video via my phone.  It is not great but we captured the moment!  She is spelling monarch.

I am so proud of her, just the fact that she got up there and did it in front of her peers, she didn't seem nervous.  Later she confessed that she was so nervous she almost cried at the beginning.  She got out in the fifth round and walked away with her head held high, such a great example.  I am glad most of her siblings got to see her.  I am also happy that both Jeremy and I were able to be there and that she could see us smiling at her as she spelled the words.  What a great moment!  Miranda made it to the 5th round and beat several fifth graders.  She came in 8th of 18, so I am definitely a proud mama!